Kent Farmhouse

Our challenge with this project was to design a new family farmhouse in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The spatial configuration emerged from a ‘concept of living’ and the final proposal was born out of taking full advantage of its unique setting, while also referencing the local vernacular in its choice of materials and roof form.

View of the existing farmhouse and fields

Spread over two floors, the house comprises four bedrooms, two studies, kitchen, dining room, living room and TV room. A further stand-alone building accommodates two guest rooms. Each room has been positioned in relation to the sun’s movements, so that the master bedroom and kitchen are flooded with morning light, while the living room looks out over the setting sun.

Perspective showing approach

We were asked to look at the feasibility of designing a new-build, family farmhouse to replace the existing farm buildings and outhouses. The challenge was to design a building that works with the site, orientated around the path of the sun and the incredible views of the entire valley, whilst also creating a beautiful family home.

Main house and guest house

First floor layout

Ground floor layout

The building’s setting in the landscape and its appearance on the approach were both key drivers in generating the massing of the house. Our intention was that the house gradually reveals itself as people approach, with the form of the building shifting from different views.

Site plan

Ground floor

First floor

“Cracking the plan was an iterative process with the client, where we used sketches and models to explore both the internal spatial qualities and also the roofscape, and crucially how the building sits within this unique landscape.”

Dallas-Pierce-Quintero

Approach sketch

Roof studies

Temporal concept

Material palette

As well as being embedded in the landscape, the design sought to respond to the palette of materials used in nearby agricultural and historic buildings to create a building that felt intrinsically linked to its location.